**Can You Mix BHA with Vitamin C?**
Both **BHA** (beta hydroxy acid) and **Vitamin C** (ascorbic acid) are popular active ingredients in skincare, offering significant benefits for the skin. However, the question of whether they can be used together often arises, as they have different pH levels and can be quite potent. So, let’s dive into whether you can mix them and how best to use them for optimal results.
### What Are the Benefits of BHA?
**BHA**, specifically **salicylic acid**, is an oil-soluble acid, meaning it can penetrate deeply into the pores. It is highly effective for **acne-prone** and **oily** skin because it:
– **Unclogs pores**: It helps remove dirt, oil, and impurities that can lead to blackheads and acne.
– **Exfoliates the skin**: It removes dead skin cells from the surface, revealing a smoother, clearer complexion.
– **Reduces inflammation**: Its anti-inflammatory properties help calm redness, acne, and other skin irritations.
– **Regulates sebum production**: It helps balance oil production, which is especially beneficial for oily and acne-prone skin.
### What Are the Benefits of Vitamin C?
**Vitamin C** is a powerful antioxidant that provides a range of benefits for the skin, including:
– **Brightens skin tone**: It helps lighten hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and sun damage.
– **Protects from free radicals**: Vitamin C protects the skin from environmental damage, including pollution and UV rays.
– **Boosts collagen production**: It stimulates collagen, improving skin elasticity and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
– **Reduces redness**: As an anti-inflammatory, Vitamin C can help calm redness and irritation.
### Can BHA and Vitamin C Be Used Together?
The short answer is **yes**, you can use both BHA and Vitamin C together, but with some caution. Since both have **acidic pH levels** and act as exfoliants, using them incorrectly or layering them too soon can cause irritation, redness, and dryness. Here are some tips on how to use them effectively:
### Best Ways to Use BHA and Vitamin C Together:
#### **Option 1 – Use Them at Different Times of the Day**
One of the most effective ways to use BHA and Vitamin C together is by **applying them at different times of the day**:
– **Vitamin C in the morning**: Since Vitamin C offers **antioxidant protection**, it’s ideal to use it in the morning. It helps fight off environmental aggressors like UV rays and pollution, making it perfect for your AM routine.
– **BHA at night**: Use **salicylic acid (BHA)** in your **evening routine**. Since it works by exfoliating and unclogging pores, applying it at night allows it to work effectively without the interference of environmental damage, and your skin has time to regenerate overnight.
This approach gives your skin enough time to absorb each product properly and prevents pH imbalances that could cause irritation.
#### **Option 2 – Alternate Days**
If you find that using both BHA and Vitamin C in the same day is too irritating for your skin, **alternate** their use on **different nights**. For example:
– Use **Vitamin C on one night** and **BHA** the next night. This gives your skin a break and prevents any sensitivity or irritation that can occur when using both acids too frequently.
#### **Option 3 – Layer Them (With Caution)**
For those who have **tolerant skin**, it’s possible to **layer BHA and Vitamin C** in the same routine. Here’s how:
– **Start with BHA**: Apply your **salicylic acid product first**. BHA is oil-soluble, so it penetrates the skin deeply, unclogging pores and exfoliating the surface.
– **Wait 20 minutes**: Allow some time (around 20 minutes) for your skin to fully absorb BHA and for its pH to settle before applying Vitamin C.
– **Apply Vitamin C**: After the waiting period, apply your Vitamin C serum. This ensures that your skin won’t be overwhelmed by the acidity of both products at once and allows each to work at its best.
This method requires a bit more time, but it can be effective for those who are used to active ingredients and have built up a tolerance.
### Which Comes First: Vitamin C or BHA?
If you do layer them in the same routine, **BHA** should be applied first, followed by **Vitamin C**. Here’s why:
– **BHA**: Being oil-soluble, it penetrates deeper into the skin and works to exfoliate, clear pores, and reduce inflammation. It prepares the skin by removing dead skin cells, allowing other actives (like Vitamin C) to absorb more effectively.
– **Vitamin C**: As a water-soluble antioxidant, Vitamin C works best on the surface layer of the skin. Applying it after BHA ensures it isn’t inhibited by exfoliated skin or dirt, and it can get to work brightening, protecting, and stimulating collagen production.
### Additional Tips for Using BHA and Vitamin C Together:
– **Patch Test First**: If you’re new to either ingredient, do a 24-hour patch test on a small area of your skin to make sure you don’t experience irritation.
– **Start Slowly**: If you’re just starting to incorporate BHA and Vitamin C into your routine, **ease into it**. Use them every other day or on alternate nights to build tolerance.
– **Hydrate and Moisturize**: Both BHA and Vitamin C can be drying, so ensure you are using a **moisturizer** to lock in hydration and protect the skin barrier. Always follow with sunscreen during the day, as both ingredients can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
### Conclusion
In summary, while you **can** use BHA and Vitamin C together, it’s important to apply them correctly to avoid irritation. The best options are:
– **Use them at different times of day** (Vitamin C in the morning, BHA at night).
– **Alternate days** if your skin is sensitive.
– **Layer them carefully** by waiting 20 minutes between applications if you want to use them in the same routine.
By following these guidelines, you can enjoy the benefits of both active ingredients—**clearer skin** from BHA and a **brighter, more youthful complexion** from Vitamin C—without compromising your skin’s health.
If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to a skincare professional or send a message to one of our experts on **Instagram**!
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.
